Tuesday, June 30, 2015

158 years ago today, June 1, 1857, Walter Hamilton died in Bovina. Born in 1809, he was the son of Robert Hamilton and Jean Ray. He married Dorcas Pamelia Hilton, who bore him six children. She ran the tavern that was located in what is now the Jardine house for a number of years.

116 years ago on June 2, 1899, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "B.S. Miller returned Friday from a trip to Washington, the Capital city, and New York city, and reports an enjoyable trip and much sight seeing. He spent Decoration Day on the battlefield at Gettysburg." Berry Shaw Miller was one of Bovina's Civil War Veterans.

135 years ago today, on June 3, 1880, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "The youngest child of Richard James, a little girl, died ... of brain fever." This appears to be Clarice James, born in 1876. The year on her tombstone says she died in 1879. The James family came from England.

117 years ago today, June 4, 1898, Miss M. Ella Graham, of Andes, was coming Bovina in a horse and buggy. As later reported in the Andes Recorder, "When she was just above Douglas Davidson’s the rear spring broke, and this frightened the horse causing it to spring. When the horse sprang the buggy top came down and one of the braces caught in the wheel and tore out one spoke and did some other damage. The horse tried to get away but Miss Graham pluckily held to it and finally got it stopped."

Ninety four years ago today, on June 5, 1921, William Johnson and his wife arrived at the home of his sister, Mrs. Alex Crosier at the Butt End. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had traveled from their home in Kansas, leaving on May 23. The Andes Recorder in reporting their arrival noted that they "covered over 1700 miles in their Maxwell car." William (b 1865) and his sister Mary (1869-1949) were two of the children of John Johnson and Susan Brownell.

119 years ago today, June 6, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "The funeral of Mrs. John Phyfe on Saturday was largely attended. Rev. Samson officiated. She was a loving wife and kind neighbor, and will be missed in her home, in the community, and in the church." Mrs. Phyfe was the former Mary Ann Pulling, the third wife of John Phyfe. She was born in Stamford in 1825. John Phyfe survived his third wife for 4 years, dying in 1901 at the age of 83.

135 years ago today, on June 7, 1880, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Stamford Mirror, "Two of our 'worthies' had a tussel with hard cider last Monday, and got rather the worst of it."

115 years ago, the June 8, 1900 Andes Recorder reported that "Several years ago a number of persons subscribed money and a telephone line was built from Bovina Centre to Margaretville via. The Butt End and New Kingston, but the line was never incorporated and was always out of repair and for some time has not been working at all. A new stock company we understand has been formed to reconstruct the line and expect to have it completed in about a month."

130 years ago, the Bovina column of the June 9, 1885 issue of the Stamford Mirror reported on a couple of Bovina residents traveling in the west. "T.R. McFarland is enjoying an extended trip through the far West," while "Miss Jennie Russell has gone to Dakota to spend the summer with her brother John K. Russell." McFarland likely was Thomas Russell McFarland (1845-1915). Jennie and John K. Russell likely are the children of Stephen and Jean (Bryce) Russell.

176 years ago today, on June 10, 1839, Allen Ballentyne "was found drowned in a well on a place adjoining the farm on which his family lived" in Bovina. As later reported in the June 19 Delaware (Delhi) Gazette, it was thought to be a suicide. "As the well was not used, and had been covered for some time, it is supposed he had removed the covering for the purpose of drowning himself. When found his feet and legs were up out of the water, and his head down." Allen was the son of David Ballentyne, who had "drowned a few weeks since in the Delaware river….and we understand had been deranged for several years." Allen was 30 years old and is buried in the old Reformed Presbyterian Church cemetery.

114 years ago today, June 11, 1901, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, John L. Gordon and his wife arrived in Bovina for their vacation. The paper noted that he "is a policeman at Old Slip precinct station."

119 years ago today, on June 12, 1896, the school in Bovina Center was closed for the school year. The Andes Recorder reported that "The year just closed has been a very successful one and this has been largely due to the efficient teachers, and it is to be hoped that they may be retained for another year."

Seventy five years ago today, June 13, 1940, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, "Mr. and Mrs. Ray Jardine attended the circus at Binghamton…"

132 years ago today, on June 14, 1883, the Armstrong family reunion was held at the house of F.C. Armstrong. The Stamford Mirror reported the reunion and had noted that "John Armstrong, wife, and daughter, of Salinas, Cal., are visiting friends in town.." and attended the reunion. John Graham Armstrong was the son of John C. Armstrong (1797-1864), an early settler of Bovina. John G. Armstrong died in Salinas in 1904. F.C. Armstrong was John's younger brother, Francis Coulter Armstrong. He died in Bovina in 1925.

179 years ago today, on June 15, 1836, the session of the Bovina Associate Presbyterian Church met and went through several items related the conduct of members of the church. "Christina Elliott appeared before session to answer to the sin of fornication and also her imprudent conduct in other reports for which she declared her sorrow…" She was willing to submit to a public rebuke and to be suspended for a time. Elders reported on several other issues, including discussions with Temperance Wooden and Elizabeth Coulter about dancing, with John Miller concerning his attendance at a Methodist service and Hellen Elliott for not coming to church.

116 years ago, the June 16, 1899 Andes Recorder reported in its Bovina column that "Jacob Pintoff has been in town delivering pictures which he has been enlarging."

134 years ago today, on June 17, 1881, the Bovina correspondent for the Stamford Mirror reported that "Thomas E. Forrest has received news of the death of his son Wilson, which occurred some two weeks ago near Truckee, California." William Wilson Forrest, born in 1847, died on May 19 and is buried in Nevada County, California.

Two hundred years ago today, on June 18, 1815, Adam Scott died. A native of Scotland, he was married to Janet Ingles and had three children. He is buried in the Associate Presbyterian Church cemetery. Here is his stone:

104 years ago today June 19, 1911, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Miss Helen Blair graduated Monday from the high school at Oneonta. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Blair, Millard Blair and Miss Mary Thomson attended the exercises. Miss Blair will enter the Oneonta Normal next fall." Helen Blair later married Marshall Thomson and passed away in 1997 at the age of 107.

Seventy seven years ago today, on June 20, 1938, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "Margaret C. Coulter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Coulter, graduated Monday from Cornell University at Ithaca. Walter Coulter, and daughter Mrs. William Parsons, and Elizabeth Strangeway, the latter an aunt, attended the exercises." Margaret was better known as Celia. She passed away this past April at the age of 99.

128 years ago today, the June 21, 1887 Stamford Mirror reported that "David Hoy, of Bovina a graduate of Del. Lit. Inst. at Franklin, has been awared the Cornell University Scholarship for Delaware County." Hoy would later become a noted registrar of Cornell. For more information, visit the Bovina NY History Blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/10/david-fletcher-hoy-give-my-regards-to.html

Ninety three years ago today, on June 22, 1922, "Lloyd Irvine and Millard Blair, who have been visiting their parents here, left....for their return to Seattle, Washington."

116 years ago today, the Bovina column of the June 23, 1899 Andes Recorder reported that "Miss Anna Phyfe received her graduation diploma from the Oneonta Normal School this week" while "Miss Jennie Hastings graduated from Delaware Literary Institute this week as salutatorian of her class."

Seventy five years ago today, June 24, 1940, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, "Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schall, Mrs. William Sanderson and Mrs. Arthur Thomson of Delhi, N.Y. were at Ernest Russell on Monday evening and Mr. Schall gave a movie display of pictures."

152 years ago today, June 25, 1863, Robert Thomson was born. He was the illegitimate son of Robert Dysart and Elinor Thomson. For more about Robert Thomson, visit the Bovina NY History blog at http://bovinanyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/12/illegitimate-child-of-robert-dysart.html

127 years ago today, June 26, 1888, as later reported in the Stamford Mirror, "J.L. Ormiston and J.L. Coulter were at Syracuse….attending the Prohibition State Convention."

119 years ago today, on June 27, 1896, as later reported in the Andes Recorder, "G.D. Miller had tomatoes on the vines in his garden. One measured seven and a half inches in circumference. Next."

108 years ago today, the June 28, 1907 issue of the Catskill Mountain News reported the following concerning a lawsuit brought before a Bovina Town Justice by Ella Brown Campbell, who lived in Bovina, against her brother: "A lawsuit brought by Mrs. Henry S. Campbell against her brother, George Brown, of Arena, as administrator of her mother's estate, came up before Justice T.C. Strangeway Friday. The suit was withdrawn and another action immediate brought. The action is brought to secure pay for caring for the mother."

128 years ago today, June 29, 1887, during the installation of Rev. Milligan as pastor of the Bovina Reformed Presbyterian Church, "the floor of the audience room broke down at each end." Later reported in the Stamford Mirror, the report noted that "the distance to the ground was small and no one was hurt, and the exercises were continued as though nothing unusual has happened."

Seventy five years ago today, June 30, 1940, as later reported in the Bovina column of the Delaware Republican, "Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Doig and children of Downsville were guests of his brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Doig…." That same day, Miss Virginia Decker, who has been spending a couple of weeks with her aunt, Mrs. Charles Scobie at Glenn Cove, L.I., returned home…."

Monday, June 22, 2015

On January 1, 1949, Fred Thomson, somewhat unwillingly, retired as Bovina's postmaster when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. The news clipping below came from the scrapbook of Helena Hilson and dates from early 1949. It is not clear from which newspaper, though probably either the Delaware Republican Express or the Oneonta Daily Star.

The post card below shows the Thomson residence when it was the post office. This is now the residence of Chuck and Betty McIntosh.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Three year old Hugh McPherson was in a car accident and one of Bovina's ministers got married - just a couple of the tidbits for June 1915.

June 4, 1915
•Miss Nell Miller has finished her school in Albany county and returned home.
•Thomas Gordon commenced the work of taking the census Tuesday morning. [This was the New York State Census.]
•Alex Hilson is having the lawn in front of his residence graded. John McCune has charge of the work. [This is the house now owned by his great granddaughter, Christine Batey.]
•G.D. Miller and wife and Thomas Gordon and wife attended Memorial Day exercises at Delhi on Monday.
•James G. Seath and dauter, Mrs. James Archibald, attended Memorial Day exercises at Andes on Monday.
•Horace Chester moved Tuesday from the house adjoining the residence of Alex Hilson, to rooms in the residence of Miss Louise Dennis.
•Mrs. William Armstrong, who a few weeks ago was operated upon at Kingston and a needle found in her foot, arrived home the past week.
•Wednesday at W.H. Maynard’s sale of cows at the homestead in upper Bovina the 61 head averaged under $60. The best Jerseys went for less than value, while the common grades brought full value.

June 11, 1915
•Dr. G.T. Scott has had a sidewalk laid along the front of his lot.
•Denny Hughes has move[d] into what is known as the small Dickson house.
•Fred Bramley has sold his dairy of 51 cows to Howard Hall the cattle dealer of Delhi.
•A.T. Doig has sold his Cadallac automobile to Andrew Cows, of New Kingston.
•Mrs. Thomas Miller has so far recovered from an attack of pneumonia as to be out again.
•The village school closed this week. Kathryn Reynolds, primary teacher, will have a picnic for her scholars.
•William J. Archibald, on the Robert C. Scott, is having his residence painted. Alex Myers is doing the job.
•Mrs. G.J. Dickson went to Syracuse on Monday[Jun 7] to be present at the graduating at Syracuse University. Her two daughters, Mary and Carolyne, are among the graduates. Both have secured positions.

Lake Delaware Farm Sold
Alonzo W. Tuttle has sold his farm at Lake Delaware, to his nephew, Ernest Redmond. The price paid for the farm and stock is $7,000. Mr. Tuttle has been unable to work for a number of years owing to rheumatism.

June 18, 1915
•William R. Miller is having his lawn graded.
•G.D. Miller was at Bloomville last Friday taking in wool.
•Miss Hazel Hoy is home from Elmira college for the summer vacation.
•The Village Improvement Society has shipped three wagon loads of old papers.
•A new carpet was laid Tuesday in the auditorium of the United Presbyterian church.
•Miss Sarah Phyfe’s Sabbath school class will hold their annual picnic today (Thursday)
•Regents examinations were held at the village school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday the advanced pupils of Miss Davidson held a picnic on Pisgah.
•Miss Carolyn Dickson is in Ithaca attending a peace convention, which will consider international relations. She is one of the three delegates representing Syracuse University.
•While Horace Chester was taking down the wire of a chicken yard at the rear of the big Dickson house, a large stone from the foundation was loosened and came down hitting him on the head over one ear, and laid the scalp open. The wound was drawn together with adhesive plaster.

Auto Down 20 Foot EmbankmentHugh, Three Year Old Son of Howard McPherson, of Bovina, Lands in the CreekSaturday afternoon [Jun 12], Hugh, the three year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard McPherson, in Bovina Center, had a very narrow escape, when the auto in which he had been left started and went down a 20-foot embankment into the creek. The child, however, escaped with bruises.Mr. McPherson was preparing to go to Delhi and had backed the auto from the barn. Leaving the child in the car he went to close the doors of the barn, and had just accomplished the task, when he looked around and saw the car in motion and the child at the wheel. His effort to reach the car and shut off power were futile and the car went over the embankment about a rod away. Part way down the bank the auto collided with a small tree and child was hurled into the air and landed out in the stream and when the father reached him he was trying to get onto his feet. The car after hanging a few moments was released by the tree giving way and landed bottom up in the creek. The child was carried to the house and the doctor could find no injury, except bruises. The cause of the auto starting is now known, but it is supposed that in some way the child had released the breaks, and when found the car was in “high.” The care was hauled up the bank and although damaged can be repaired. [Little Hugh survived his auto accident, dying in 1998.]

June 25, 1915
•William C. Russell made a trip onto the Beaverkill the latter part of last week.
•Miss Angelica Gerry has arrived at the Gerry summer homes at Lake Delaware.
•Miss Jane Hilson graduate last week from Oberlin college and Clifton R. Scott from Westminster college and both have arrived home.
•Mrs. William T. Forrest has re-laid the side walk along the front of the house in Bovina Center, which she recently purchased of Russell Boggs, and is having the lawn graded.
•Rev. Thomas Graham and bride arrived home last Thursday evening. The boys gave them a skimmelton. A reception was held Wednesday in the town hall, all the churches uniting in the welcome.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Last month, I reported in this blog for May 8 on the journey that Lizzie Coulter and Mary Adee took in 1868 to Virginia, where they were to teach freed black men and women. The journey, including a stay of almost a week in Boydton, Virginia, took a bit over two weeks.

On April 21, Lizzie traveled to her final destination, Clarksville. She arrived in muddy conditions and the next morning began her school with twenty-two pupils. She noted that “some of them are quite mischievous the same as other children.” Lizzie found Clarksville more pleasant than Boydton. She noted that she had “a good boarding place at the hotel.”

By May, she had “sixty eight day scholars and twenty four night scholars.” Some of her students were able to read while others were still learning the alphabet. “The greater part of them learn very fast,” she noted. The month of May went by pleasantly for most part. She started writing “letters for the colored people” and was receiving much welcomed letters from home. The weather was pleasant, noting in her diary that she was “not suffering with heat any yet.” She went on to record that she was “quite contented and happy although I am slandered and despised because I teach the colored people.” May 19 was not such a good day for Lizzie. She came home from school very tired, noting that “some of my scholars behaved very badly today. I punished one of my large scholars for pinching another.” Coulter went on to say that “I almost feel discouraged yet I must remember that they have not had the privileges that the whites enjoy at the north.” The rest of the month seemed to go better. One day she noted that “strawberries and cherries are ripe and had some new potatoes for dinner….” She found time to make a trip to Boydton to visit her friend (probably Mary Adee).

The May 8, 2015 entry in this blog told the story of Lizzie Coulter's trip south in the spring of 1868 to become a teacher for the Freedman's Bureau in southern Virginia. She spent a few days in Boydton, Virginia before finally reaching her final destination on April 21, Clarksville.

By May, she
had “sixty eight day scholars and twenty four night scholars.” Some of her
students were able to read while others were still learning the alphabet. “The
greater part of them learn very fast,” she noted. The month of May went by
pleasantly for most part. She started writing “letters for the colored people”
and was receiving welcomed letters from home. The weather was pleasant,
noting in her diary that she was “not suffering with heat any yet.” She went on
to record that she was “quite contented and happy although I am slandered and
despised because I teach the colored people.” May 19 was not such a good day
for Lizzie. She came home from school very tired, noting that “some of my
scholars behaved very badly today. I punished one of my large scholars for
pinching another.” Coulter went on to say that “I almost feel discouraged yet I
must remember that they have not had the privileges that the whites enjoy at
the north.” The rest of the month seemed to go better. One day she noted that
“strawberries and cherries are ripe and had some new potatoes for
dinner….” She found time to make a trip
to Boydton to visit her friend (probably Mary Adee).

The weather began to get to Lizzie in June. She started to lose her voice and found that she could not teach as many hours as she had been. Reducing her hours some did seem to help. She continued to notice the various fruits and vegetables that were available: “Had some pine apples, mulberries, huckleberries and cucumbers to day and yesterday had peas, plum and raspberries.” Lizzie soldiered on through July and the weather grew hotter and more humid. In early July, she recorded that “the thermometer stood at 103 degrees on Wednesday and on Thursday 105 degrees.” Things cooled off a bit by the end of July, helped by some rain. She continued to have a large number of students, numbering in the 70s. For the most part, she seemed to do well with her students, but did record that one day “one of my scholars had a fit in school.”

August was such a busy one that Mary Adee joined her to help her in her “laborious work,” but by mid-month, Lizzie's health worsened. On August 15, she noted that she “had a bad cold.” She had hoarseness, a sore throat and a cough. “I fear I will have to return home soon if my cold does not get better.” Her fears were realized that day when she met with a doctor about whether or not she could stay. The doctor advised her not to teach any longer. “I therefore concluded to return home.” She closed her school on the 20th and “parted with my Sabbath school on the 23rd.” Her scholars were very sorry to see her leave – “many tears were shed at parting…”

Coulter left Clarksville on August 24 and her trip home was essentially a reverse of her trip down in April. She was joined in Boydton by Mary Adee and “two colored girls one is for Mr. Graham and the other is going near Bloomville.” They traveled to Richmond and on to Aquia Creek, sailing on the Vanderbilt back up the Potamac. She took a bath on board and “slept well until morning…” when she went out on the deck. She traveled on to Washington and Baltimore.

Unfortunately, her travel diary ends on August 28, before she completed her journey home. She received a number of letters from her scholars in Clarksville after returning to Bovina (these have been transcribed and are also at the Delaware County Historical Association). They wrote about how they missed her and what has been going on since her departure from Clarksville. She also had several letters from an Ann Smith, who appears to have stepped in to carry on Coulter’s educational efforts. Some of the letters also congratulated her on a life changing event that took place barely two months after her return – her marriage. On October 26, 1868, Lizzie married Henry Scott Murray in Bovina. They would be married for 38 years until Henry’s death in 1905. Lizzie would have three sons but only one, David Hamilton Murray, would survive her at her death in July 1907. Elizabeth and Henry spent much of their time living in Andes, but both are buried in Bovina.

Mary Adee, who returned with Coulter, also did not return south. She was married by 1870 to Charles Martin (1824-1908). She had several children but died at the age of 38 in 1884 and is buried in Oneonta.

Another player in this whole story was the Freedmen’s Bureau agent, George W. Graham. His story needs considerably more research concerning his time in southern Virginia (the records of the office he ran in southern Virginia are at the National Archives). He ended up serving for a couple of years as a Virginia State Senator and appears to have been essentially a carpetbagger. Stay tuned for this story.